A Cordelia cruise is the simplest way for an Indian family to step aboard a full-size ocean liner without flying anywhere first — you board in Mumbai, Chennai or Kochi, and the holiday starts the moment you walk up the gangway. Cordelia is India’s home-grown ocean cruise line, and its single ship, The Empress, carries 796 cabins spread over 11 decks, in 15 to 18 cabin categories that group into five broad tiers — from cosy interior rooms to a top-deck Chairman’s Suite.
This guide walks through everything worth knowing before you sail: where Cordelia actually goes, how long each voyage runs, the cabin tiers and what separates them, exactly what your fare covers, and how the pricing works. As an authorised Cordelia seller with direct booking access, IMAD Travel books these sailings for travellers regularly — so the detail below is what we explain to clients every week, not a brochure summary. You can see our full range of Cordelia and international cruise packages any time. Contact on WhatsApp: + 91 99597 77776
Cordelia Cruises is India’s own ocean cruise line, sailing a single large ship called The Empress. The vessel previously cruised the Caribbean and Bahamas before joining Cordelia to sail Indian waters, and it carries 796 staterooms spread across 11 decks, organised into 15 to 18 cabin categories that group into five broad tiers (Source: Cordelia Cruises / CruiseMapper). In practice that means a genuine big-ship experience — multiple restaurants, a theatre, a pool deck, a casino, a kids’ club and live entertainment — operating on short, India-friendly itineraries rather than the two-week voyages most international lines run.
For an Indian traveller, the appeal is the absence of friction. There is no international flight, no foreign visa for the domestic sailings, no currency to change before you board, and Indian food is part of the everyday dining. It is a cruise built around how Indian families and groups actually like to travel.
Cordelia sails from three home ports — Mumbai, Chennai and Kochi — to a spread of island and coastal destinations across India and the wider Indian Ocean. Typical calls include Goa, Diu, Lakshadweep, Kochi, and Sri Lanka’s Colombo, Galle and Trincomalee, with some itineraries reaching Malé in the Maldives (Source: Cordelia Cruises; Travel And Tour World). The line also runs “cruise to nowhere” weekend sailings that simply head out to open sea and back, which are popular first-cruise choices.
Cordelia’s routes are seasonal and do change — ports get added, paused or re-sequenced depending on weather and demand — so treat any route list as a starting point rather than a fixed timetable. Before you plan around a specific island, it is worth confirming the live sailing schedule; our team can tell you which routes are currently open for the dates you have in mind.
Cordelia voyages run from short weekend breaks to week-long grand sailings, so you can match the trip to the leave you actually have. The shortest are 2-night/3-day escapes — ideal for first-timers testing whether cruising suits them — while a 5-night/6-day sailing gives you two or three island stops at a relaxed pace. The longest are roughly 7-night grand voyages that thread several countries together, such as a Mumbai–Goa–Kochi–Colombo–Trincomalee–Chennai routing.
A practical view, from booking these for years: for a family with young children or older parents on their first cruise, a 2- or 3-night sailing is the smarter starting point than a week at sea. It is long enough to enjoy the ship and one or two ports, short enough that nobody gets restless, and it tells you exactly what to book next time.
Cordelia cabins climb through five broad tiers, and the right one depends on how much time you will actually spend in the room. From entry level upward they run: Interior (a comfortable inside cabin with no window), Ocean View (sea views, twin beds that convert to a queen), Mini Suite (a private balcony), Suite (balcony plus butler service and premium perks), and the flagship Chairman’s Suite.
Here is the honest guidance we give clients. If your plan is to be out on deck, at the shows, at dinner and ashore all day, an Interior or Ocean View cabin is genuinely all most people need — you are only sleeping there. Step up to a Mini Suite when a private balcony will meaningfully improve the trip, which is usually honeymooners and couples who want that morning-coffee-over-the-sea moment. A Suite earns its premium mainly through the butler, priority embarkation and specialty dining, which matters most to travellers who value a smoother, more private experience over a busy ship.
Your Cordelia fare is close to all-inclusive for the things most families use every day, which is what makes cruising such good value once you are aboard. For the standard Premier cabins, the fare covers your stay, all meals at the main restaurants, live shows and entertainment, the swimming pool and gym, the kids’ club (Cordelia Academy), casino entry, and the island and port stays themselves (Source: Cordelia Cruises).
What sits outside the base fare is the optional, premium layer: specialty restaurants, the spa and salon, premium drink packages, shore excursions, gratuities, and Wi-Fi on non-suite cabins. Suite guests get more bundled in — butler service, Wi-Fi, laundry and specialty dining among them. The thing to budget for honestly is shore excursions, drinks and gratuities; everything your kids will want to do on the ship itself is already paid for, which is exactly why families find a cruise easier on the wallet than it first looks.
A Cordelia cruise suits four kinds of Indian traveller especially well, and it is genuinely less ideal for a couple of others. Families get the most out of it — one fare covers food, entertainment and childcare, and the kids’ club buys parents real downtime. Honeymooners and couples do well in a balcony Mini Suite on a Goa or Lakshadweep sailing. First-time cruisers should start with a 2- or 3-night sailing to learn the ropes. And multi-generational groups — the kind of large family trips many of us take — work beautifully because everyone from grandparents to toddlers finds their own pace on board.
Who should think twice? Travellers who specifically want deep, unhurried time on land in one place — a cruise gives you a port for a day, not a week. And anyone expecting a quiet, secluded boutique experience should know The Empress is a big, lively, family-energy ship. Knowing that in advance is the difference between a holiday that fits and one that disappoints.
Cordelia fares move constantly, so the useful thing is to understand what drives the price rather than chase a number that is out of date by the time you read it. Five things set your fare: the cabin tier you choose, the length of the voyage, the season and dates (school holidays and long weekends cost more), the occupancy (how many share the cabin — children’s rates differ), and how far ahead you book, since the best cabins and early-bird fares go first.
Because those variables shift daily, we do not publish a fixed price — it would mislead you. Instead, as an authorised Cordelia seller, IMAD gives you the current live fare for your exact cabin, route and dates in a single message, and books it directly. The fastest way to a real number is to WhatsApp us your preferred route and travel dates on +91 99597 77776, and we will send back today’s options across the cabin tiers.
Booking through an authorised seller costs you nothing extra and removes the guesswork. IMAD is an IATA-certified agency with direct Cordelia booking access, so we see live availability and fares, match the right cabin and sailing to your group, and handle the booking end to end — including the add-ons people forget, like shore excursions and the documents you need to carry. If a route is paused or a sailing fills up, we tell you the best alternative rather than leaving you to refresh a booking page.
Ready to sail with Cordelia? Send our team your preferred port, route and dates and we will come back with today’s live fares across every cabin tier. Talk to IMAD’s cruise desk or WhatsApp +91 99597 77776 — and browse our wider cruise packages from India while you decide.
Cordelia sails from three home ports — Mumbai, Chennai and Kochi — to destinations including Goa, Diu, Lakshadweep, Kochi and Sri Lanka, with some itineraries reaching the Maldives. Routes are seasonal and change, so confirm the current schedule before planning around a specific island.
For domestic India sailings (such as Goa or Lakshadweep) Indian citizens travel on a valid government photo ID and do not need a passport or visa. Itineraries that call at Sri Lanka or the Maldives are international sailings, so you will need a valid passport plus an e-visa. Both are straightforward e-visas for Indian travellers, and IMAD arranges them for you as part of the booking.
A standard Cordelia fare includes your cabin, all meals at the main restaurants, live entertainment and shows, the pool and gym, the kids’ club and casino entry, plus the island and port stays. Specialty dining, spa, premium drinks, shore excursions, gratuities and Wi-Fi on non-suite cabins typically cost extra.
Choose by how much time you will spend in the room. Interior and Ocean View cabins suit travellers who are out exploring the ship and ports all day. A Mini Suite adds a private balcony — popular with couples and honeymooners. A Suite adds butler service and premium perks for those who want a more private, seamless experience.
Yes — it is one of the better options for multi-generational Indian families. One fare covers meals, entertainment and the kids’ club, the ship is easy to move around, and everyone from grandparents to children can travel at their own pace. A shorter 2- or 3-night sailing is the best way to start.
Fares depend on the cabin tier, voyage length, travel dates, occupancy and how early you book, and they change frequently — so there is no single fixed price. As an authorised Cordelia seller, IMAD can quote the current live fare for your exact route, cabin and dates and book it directly.
This guide was prepared by IMAD Travel’s cruise desk from Cordelia Cruises and industry sources, and reflects how we book these sailings for Indian travellers. Routes, cabins and fares are set by Cordelia and change from time to time — always confirm the current schedule and price with our team before you book.
